Find out how popular the last name Lenahan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lenahan.

Lenahan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lenahan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lenahan in America

Lenahan is the 11821st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lenahan surname appeared 2,647 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Lenahan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lenahan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Lenahan

The surname Lenahan has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the old Gaelic name "O'Lenagain," which means "descendant of Lenagan." The name Lenagan itself is a diminutive form of the name "Lenagh," which is believed to have been a personal name derived from the Irish word "len," meaning "cloak" or "mantle."

The Lenahan name is believed to have first appeared in historical records in the 13th century, with references to the Clan O'Lenagain in County Sligo, Ireland. The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Tanaidhe O'Lenagain" in the year 1256.

In the 16th century, the Lenahan family was prominent in County Monaghan, where they held lands and estates. One notable member of the family during this period was Conn Lenahan, who was recorded as the Chief of the Clan in 1592.

The name also appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor Conquest, a collection of administrative records from the 16th century, where it was spelled variously as "Lenaghan," "Lenegan," and "Lenihan."

In the 17th century, the Lenahan family was involved in the Irish Confederate Wars, with several members fighting for the Confederate Catholic forces. One such figure was Patrick Lenahan, who served as a Captain in the Confederate army and was killed in battle in 1642.

In the 18th century, the name was associated with several notable figures, including John Lenahan (1726-1804), an Irish poet and author, and Michael Lenahan (1771-1841), a prominent Catholic priest and educator in County Cavan.

Other notable individuals with the Lenahan surname throughout history include:

1. Peter Lenahan (1834-1917), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of San Francisco from 1896 to 1898.

2. Thomas P. Lenahan (1866-1940), an American lawyer and judge who served as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Montana.

3. John Lenahan (1880-1952), an Irish-American labor leader and politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

4. Patrick Lenahan (1888-1964), an Irish-born American prelate who served as the Bishop of Great Falls, Montana, from 1930 to 1952.

5. William J. Lenahan (1909-1983), an American author and journalist who wrote several books on American politics and government.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lenahan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lenahan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lenahan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lenahan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Lenahan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lenahan, please contact us.

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